< Obadiah 1 >

1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from Jehovah, and an ambassador is sent among the nations, [saying], Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
Umbono kaObhadiya. Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova mayelana leEdoma: Sizwile umbiko ovela eNkosini, njalo kuthunywe isithunywa phakathi kwezizwe: Sukumani, kasimvukele empini!
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the nations: thou art greatly despised.
Khangela, ngikwenze waba mncinyane phakathi kwezizwe, udelelwe kakhulu.
3 The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Ukuziqhenya kwenhliziyo yakho kukukhohlisile, wena ohlala ezingoxweni zamadwala, ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iphakeme, othi enhliziyweni yakhe: Ngubani ozangehlisela emhlabathini?
4 Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
Loba uphakeme njengokhozi, njalo loba ubeka isidleke sakho phakathi kwezinkanyezi, ngizakwethula khona, itsho iNkosi.
5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night (how art thou cut off!), would they not steal [only] till they had enough? if grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
Uba amasela efika kuwe, loba abaphangi ebusuku (uqunywe kangakanani!) bebengayikuntshontsha baze banele yini? Uba abavuni bezithelo zevini bebengafika kuwe, bebengayikutshiya umkhothozo yini?
6 How are [the things of] Esau searched! how are his hidden treasures sought out!
Yeka ukuhlolwa kwezinto zikaEsawu, ukudingisiswa kokuligugu kwakhe okufihliweyo!
7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee on thy way, even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; [they that eat] thy bread lay a snare under thee: there is no understanding in him.
Wonke amadoda esivumelwano sakho akuthumele emngceleni; amadoda okuthula kwakho akukhohlisile, akwehlule, adla isinkwa sakho abeke imbule ngaphansi kwakho; kakukho ukuqedisisa kuye.
8 Shall I not in that day, saith Jehovah, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
Kakuyikuba njalo yini ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ukuthi ngizachitha abahlakaniphileyo eEdoma lokuqedisisa entabeni kaEsawu.
9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter.
Lamaqhawe akho azatshaywa luvalo, Themani, ukuze ngulowo lalowo aqunywe entabeni kaEsawu ngokubulawa.
10 For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
Ngenxa yodlakela lwakho umelene lomfowenu uJakobe inhloni zizakusibekela, uqunywe kuze kube phakade.
11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
Ngosuku owema ngalo uqondene labo, ngosuku abezizweni abathumba ngalo amabutho akhe, abezizwe abangena emasangweni akhe, abenza inkatho yokuphosa ngeJerusalema, lawe wawunjengomunye wabo.
12 But look not thou on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, and rejoice not over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither speak proudly in the day of distress.
Kodwa wawungafanelanga ukukhangela ngosuku lomfowenu ngosuku lwenhlupheko yakhe; njalo wawungafanelanga uthokoze ngabantwana bakoJuda ngosuku lokuchitheka kwabo; njalo wawungafanelanga ukhulume ngokuziqhenya ngosuku lokuhlupheka.
13 Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye [hands] on their substance in the day of their calamity.
Ngabe kawungenanga ngesango labantu bami osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo; ngabe kawukhangelanga, lawe, ebubini babo osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo; njalo ngabe kawelulelanga isandla sakho enothweni yabo osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo.
14 And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; and deliver not up those of his that remain in the day of distress.
Ngabe kawumanga emehlukanweni endlela ukuquma abaphunyukayo bakhe; njalo ngabe kawunikelanga abasalayo bakhe osukwini losizi.
15 For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
Ngoba usuku lweNkosi lusondele ezizweni zonke. Njengokwenza kwakho kuzakwenziwa kuwe; umvuzo wakho uzabuyela ekhanda lakho.
16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been.
Ngoba njengoba linathile entabeni yami engcwele, ngokunjalo zonke izizwe zizanatha njalonjalo, yebo, zizanatha, ziginye, zibe kungathi kazizanga zibe khona.
17 But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Kodwa entabeni yeZiyoni kuzakuba khona ukuphunyuka, kube lobungcwele; lendlu kaJakobe izakudla ilifa lamafa ayo.
18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for Jehovah hath spoken it.
Lendlu kaJakobe izakuba ngumlilo, lendlu kaJosefa ibe lilangabi, lendlu kaEsawu ibe libibi; njalo bazazitshisa bazidle; njalo kakuyikuba khona oseleyo endlini kaEsawu; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
19 And they of the South shall possess the mount of Esau, and they of the lowland the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria; and Benjamin [shall possess] Gilead.
Labeningizimu bazakudla ilifa lentaba kaEsawu, lalabo abemagcekeni amaFilisti, yebo bazakudla ilifa lensimu yakoEfrayimi lensimu yeSamariya, loBhenjamini iGileyadi.
20 And the captives of this host of the children of Israel, that are [among] the Canaanites, [shall possess] even unto Zarephath; and the captives of Jerusalem, that are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.
Labathunjiweyo bale inqaba yabantwana bakoIsrayeli bazakudla ilifa elalingelamaKhanani, kuze kufike eZarefathi; labathunjiweyo beJerusalema abaseSefaredi bazakudla ilifa lemizi yeningizimu.
21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be Jehovah’s.
Labasindisi bakhwele entabeni yeZiyoni ukwahlulela intaba kaEsawu; lombuso uzakuba ngoweNkosi.

< Obadiah 1 >